


no place in the world that can compare

by MichellesBoh (michellesbohh)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: At least not yet..., F/M, Michelle is not a New Yorker, She's not feelin it, Spideychelle AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:08:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24011089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michellesbohh/pseuds/MichellesBoh
Summary: Peter’s always up on the roof at odd hours and she notices that she rarely sees him between the hours of 4pm and 12am, which makes his appearance in this elevator out of the ordinary.She’s not obsessed with him. Just very observant.Or MJ and Peter have moment in the elevator.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 4
Kudos: 50





	no place in the world that can compare

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my drafts for months now. Just a short little thing based on this tweet and I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> https://twitter.com/ryanlangdon_/status/1024339810134241281
> 
> Unbeta'd and unedited. All mistakes are my cat's fault.

New York City has always been revered as some kind of mecca for lost souls for as long as MJ can remember. Touted in books, movies, and tv alike as the “city that never sleeps” or some other bullshit cliche. 

MJ? She hates it here. 

“Historical Charm” or whatever her mother kept saying as she eyed the peeling paint and battered doors of their rickety walkup be damned. 

When she described her new life to her old friends they listened, of course, but putting distance between teenagers with non-existent attention spans was a recipe for disaster and faded friendships. 

They didn’t even react when she told them she lived in Queens. _Queens._

She knew they were already getting ready for homecoming. She knew they were still planning to go to their favorite ( _her_ favorite) diner before the dance. 

She knew that dances and stupid fake traditions were lame. She knew that her fickle friends already moving on without her was HELLA lame. 

Yes, she knew all of these things and MJ _especially_ knew how lame it all was that she cared about any of this. 

See, this isn’t what she _does._ She doesn’t pine over people. She doesn’t fucking _mope_ about being “the kid that moved away.” She doesn’t _cry_ late at night because being the new kid sucked more than she thought it would. 

Even 6 years later, she thinks back to that time like who the fuck _was_ she? 

At the time, she had blamed the city. Still does, in fact. She still hates the smog (The smog where she grew up is _way_ superior) and she still hates the constant honking. 

She wakes up every morning to the same smells and sounds as always and everyone saying the city would grow on her seems more and more like a lie with every passing day. 

MJ _hates_ it here. Even if she loves the little coffee shop next to her regular subway stop that she visits on her way home every day.

Getting coffee after class might seem counterproductive, but MJ finds herself needing the caffeine to get through her almost hour long commute from campus and then still dig in to all of her reading for class.

She’s shuffling off the subway with her now lukewarm latte when a bike messenger nearly takes her out as she’s exiting the station. She hates it here.

Here, for the record, is the same building her parents had rented at all those years ago. She got into Columbia and though it’s _far_ from her first choice, it’s a good enough school and the free housing (thanks parentals) pretty much made her decision for her.

Student loans can suck her dick. Metaphorically or whatever. 

_“Michelle, don’t take that tone.”_

Her mother’s voice is nagging even 500 miles away through the Bluetooth piece Michelle found _necessary_ when she realized how much it sucked to lug around a bike and try to take calls. 

“I’m not taking a tone. I just don’t agree with you and anything I say sounds like a ‘tone’ to you.” 

Okay maybe _that_ was a tone, but she’s been accused. She doesn’t like that. 

Michelle is hoisting her bike up the few stairs in the building's entryway, eyeing the elevator with heart eyes as she sees it has already stopped at the first level. 

Her mother is growing more and more frustrated by these conversations even though this is at least the 4th time they've had it. 

This month, anyways.

It’s just her luck that once she’s finally shuffled into the elevator, so ready to forget this day and end this conversation, that a hand sneaks in between just as the doors shut. 

Of course it’s him. Peter Parker. She’s seen him around plenty over the last 6 years, even had dinner with him and his aunt a few times as well. 

Peter’s always up on the roof at odd hours and she notices that she rarely sees him between the hours of 4pm and 12am, which makes his appearance in this elevator out of the ordinary.

She’s not obsessed with him. Just very observant. She likes him maybe slightly more than she likes anyone in this building, but friends they are not.

She vaguely nods in his direction, but she isn’t really listening as he smiles, “Nice, day out?” 

Her mother sighs into her phone and MJ can literally picture the exasperated but defeated expression on her face as she softens, _“I just want you to find some happiness in your life. You haven’t been the same since-”_ she neglects to say “the move” but they both know what she means.

_“This shell of a person...it’s not you, honey.”_

“I know.” She doesn’t offer anything more. No explanations, no apologies for it; it’s not in her nature to placate. 

Peter scratches nervously at the back of his neck, unsure of how to proceed since Michelle offers so little, and is still blissfully unaware that she isn’t talking to him.

He doesn’t know her too well (though he had enjoyed those dinners), but he’s seen her around a bit over the years with protest posters, helping out some of the homeless around their neighborhood, just being a decent person. 

But there’s a fire in her eyes sometimes, and he’s always thought she was just… a force. He knows that without having ever really gotten to know her. Somehow he just knows that. 

He’d really like to know for sure.

“Oh! I’m sorry do you not like to talk about the weather? It seems like you might not be that kind of person....”

Michelle can see out of her periphery that Peter is shifting around, uncomfortable in her presence. She pinches the bridge of her nose briefly, frustrated. It makes what her mother is saying so much harder to hear. 

“ _I’m done grilling for the day. Promise me you’ll get some rest, alright? You need to get more sleep!”_

Yeah…no. I don’t,” she jokes even as she runs through her mind all the things she needs to do tonight and comes to the conclusion that she should’ve gotten two coffees.

Peter flushes, embarrassed at his poor choice of a conversation starter and glances more confidently over to her, “Is there any way we could try being friends so this is less awkward next time? I do actually like you, you know?”

Her mother laughs at that, glad to end on a lighter note and says, “ _Okay, Michelle...be safe. I love you.”_

Michelle grins a closed lipped smile and returns, “And I love you,” before she hears the call disconnect.

As luck would have it, she finally brings her attention back to Peter only to meet his eyes just as he whispers, “I love you too?”

It’s a question and it shouldn’t make her heart flip the way it does. “Uh…” she hedges, giving Peter a curious look.

She can see the confusion on his own face, but a shade of something else, something a little terrifying, is swirled in Peter’s gaze and all she can do is brush back her hair and point to the little earpiece. 

Well, if she thought he was blushing before…

Mercifully, the elevator dings open at Peter’s floor just then giving him an opportunity to escape with some of his dignity, and aside from the awkward dance around her bike he’s mostly successful.

And apparently can’t help himself as he stops the doors again with his hands. MJ startles, eyes wide as saucers as he steps a foot back into the entrance to keep the doors open.

_“_ So,” he licks his lips out of habit and MJ _notices_ which is gonna be a problem she thinks. 

“Did you hear anything I said?” His eyes are open and searching even as he blushes further. MJ shrugs in a non answer and Peter simply chuckles.

Of course as soon as he puts it out there it’d be the one time when she literally wasn’t listening. That Parker Luck is a bitch. 

“Too bad…” is all he says before he steps fully out of the way of the doors, keeping their eyes locked until they slip shut. 

Michelle is stunned. Her heart is beating faster than it has in a long time and she can't fight the grin creeping onto her face as her mind wanders.

_Maybe she should give, New York a chance..._

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Come find me on tumblr at Michellesbohh ya'll.


End file.
